Protective shield for locomotives and the like



, Jan. 28, 1930. c, M, DOLBI ER 1,744,871:

PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 28, 1929 In venlo 7'.

Patented Jan. 28, 1931) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 CHARLES M. DoLBIER, or KINGFIELD, MAINE, ASSIGNOR r GATHERS I). LANDER, or

' KINGFIELD, MAINE PROTECTIVE SHI ELDFOR LOCOMOTIVES AND THE LIKE Application filed January 28', 1929, Serial No. 335,587, and in Canada January 21, 1929.

The invention hereinafter to be described relates to certain equipment adaptable for use on railway rolling-stock of all kinds and whether the latter is in service on steam or on electrically equipped roads. The apparatus has merit when installed on passenger cars, but its effectiveness is, perhaps, more pronounced when employed as a locomotive attachment in which connection'I have more particularly emphasized its adaptability in the present application. i

A general object of my invention, when used on locomotives, is to protect the motive power parts of the latter from the action of 'rain, snow and ice, by means of aprons or shields secured to the sides of the locomotive in such a manner as to exclude these elements ,from the space in' which are locatedthe machinery parts. I I

Another object concerns the shielding of the machinery from exposure to dust and dirt from the road-bed or from other sources from which it may be wafted under the boiler and I collected in the bearings and on surfaces in sliding contact,this grit being highly injurious and destructive. 1 r

A furtherobjectis to supply added facili ties in the way of boiler protection, aflecting the lower portion ofthe shell and firebox, the

so aprons enclosing these portions acting to quite considerably pacity of the boiler.

Structurally, the invention consists, in its preferred form, in a plurality of metal sheets, each hinged or otherwise attached to the running-board or other convenient part of the locomotive and operated independently of the others and equipped with at least one, but ordinarily with two or more small doors which, when opened, provide access .to the more important elements of the running-gear for purposes of oiling and inspection.

With the aforesaid and other objects and advantages in view, the character of the in vention maybe best understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

' Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive equipped with myapparatus;

increase the steaming ca- Fig. '2 is -a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of the sections of the apron, showing a preferred method ofattachment to the locomotive;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of parts shown in Fig. 2the section being taken on line 33, Fig. 2;

In all views, like reference characters identifylike parts. i

Referring to the drawings, B represents the boiler .of a locomotive, 10 the runningboard and 11 the frame therefor.

On each running-board are hinged, by means of hinges 12, a" plurality of sections 13these, collectively, comprising the protective apron or shield. s

' Quite obviously, this apron might be constructed'in one piece, but for mechanical as well asoperative' reasons it is preferred to make it in several smaller sections, as this arrangement involves much less effortvon the part of the caretaker when for any'reaso'n a particular portion of the interior mechanism of the locomotive requires to be inspected.

Running longitudinally of they frame 11 and disposed at a short spaced distance upwardly from the track and on each side of the locomotive is a girder member which, may be in the form of the angle-iron 14, as shown. This girderis secured to the frame 11 by means of struts 15. i

- The bottom ends of the sections 13 are detachably secured to this angle-iron by means which permits of quick attachment or detachment of the aprons. As shown, it consists in bolts having wing or handle nuts which require no Wrench to operate. Plain pins with cotters in their ends would serve the purpose, but in any event, the ability to secure and release the shields quickly is essential.

It might be desirable to install these sections so that they could be wholly detached and removed from the locomotive. In this case anyv convenient arrangement of hooks and clamps may be provided-the choice of attaching means being, however, immaterial in so far as the functioning of the apparatus is concerned.

The lower portion of the apron may be slightly curved'inwardly so that the fastening means shall not project too prominently.

Through each section there is cut an opening or.a )erture .17, .which .for convenience is placed a roast of some of the more important working parts, or those, the examination or oiling of which are most frequently required.

Covering this aperture is a door 18 provided with the usual hinges 19 and with the latchpin 20. Oiling of the crank-pins. cross-heads and valve-gear mechanismsis therefore very easily accomplished by pulling the pin 20 aud swinging: open the door 18.

By this means the actuatingparts may be given attention without resort 'to swinging up thellarger sections which require to be opened only whenzmore extensive andcoinplete inspection is'to be given the whole machinery.

To avoid duplication in the drawing, one only of these small doors is shown on the sections in the main'figures, this being considered sufficient to disclose the object for which these doors are used. As a matter of fact,

however, there would in practice usually be two-and sometimes more of these doors-the number largely depending on the type of locomotive on which the apparatus is to be installed.

9 most cases'the fire-box of the boiler-as shown in'Fi'g. 1.

It is of: considerable advantage and of but sli'ght-ly'more. expense to include in this protective system the extreme forward end of the locomotive. In installations o'fthis-class'the apron is carried forwardly to include the cvl- 'indersand completely around the pilot.the

transverseportion 1'3 being effective to buck the snow should any be encountered-which might happen previously to the regular snow removing apparatus clearing the-road-way.

In Fig.4 thislatter construction is shown.

It will be understood, furthermore, that,

, while the foregoing description and the illus .trations of the apparatus depict it chiefly in .itsapplication to locomotive equipment,-it is also feasible to adopt'the same general con .struction 'foruse on rail-way cars, both on electric andsteam roads.

Electric cars,for instance, have motor and brake equipment which are1usual1y only par- :tially' protected from snow either on the track or blown in from the sides. These aprons will 6 prove quite eifective in excluding this element ing covered with ice there remains the alternative of either delaying the movement of the train until the ice can be removed from the parts or, operate the'locomotive without proper lubrication. The latter alternative is quite tempting, especially as the oiler must get out into'the storm to do his work, and if chosen, the machinery must suffer, with notonly' the possibility of injury to the parts but of more serious consequences, in case ofa wreck, to those aboard the train. The protectl"e appliance eliminates or anticipates this trouble by enclosing the mechanisms which require periodically to be oiled.

The apparatus'is, obviously, susceptible of minor changes with respect to the manner 01' attachment to the locomotive, but the struc 'ture taken as a whole, and as herein disclosed,

is the embodiment which, at the present time, Iconsider preferable to other possible forms in which the invention might be carried out.

Vhat I claim and desire to securebyLettersPatent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described adaptable for use on a-locomotive, an apron vertically disposed on and'laterally of said locomotive, below the running-board therefore, andfadapted to form one side of a space within which is the driving mechanism for said locomotive, and means on said apron through which a relatively small portion of this spacemay be made accessible from the outside without the removal of the said apron, as a whole, from said locomotive.

2. In apparatus of the class described "adaptable for use on a locomotive, an apron liingedly secured at its'upper end to, and laterally of, said locomotive, and on each side thereof, the two aprons together adapted to enclose two sides of a space within which operates the (lIIVIDg -mechanism for said locomotive, means to secure the lower end of said apron against transverse movement on saidrlocomotive, a plurality of apertures in the side of said apron, and a door adapted to operate in connection-with each of said apertureseitlier to'open or close'the'same.

3. A protective shield for locomotives comprising an apron connected at its upper end .to'the locomotive and depending from its point of connection therewith to within a short distance from the track over which said locomotive operates, said apron including a plurality of hinged sections each operable independently of the others, a girder member running longitudinally of the locomotive, on each side thereof, means to fixedly secure said girder member to the frame of said locomotive, means to detachably secure the lower ends of said sections to said girder member, a plurality of apertures in the side of each of said sections, and a door operable to open and close each of said apertures.

4. A protective shield for locomotives and the like, comprising a plurality of hinged sheet metal sections collectively constituting an apron vertically disposed on each side of the locomotive and depending from the running-board thereof to within a short distance from the track over which said locomotive operates, said apron extending from the cylinders of the locomotive, rearwardly, abreast of the space within which are the actuating parts of the driving mechanism for the locomotive and the fire-box of the boiler therefor, a girder member secured to the frame of said locomotive and disposed longitudinally on each side thereof, detachable clamping means adapted to detachably secure the bottom end of said apron to said girder member, an aperture in the side of each of said sections, a door adjacent said aperture and adapted to open and close the latter, and a clasp pin operable to quickly release said door from its closed position over said aperture.

5. A protective shield for locomotives comprising an apron divided into a plurality of vertical sections each thereof attached, at its upper margin, to said locomotive, said apron extending laterally along both sides and for the full length of the locomotive and across the front end thereof and risingfrom a horizontal line located at a short distance from the rail-way track to a substantially mid-vertical portion of the locomotive, a longitudinally disposed girder at each lower side of said locomotive, struts, fixedly securing said girder to said locomotive, means to detachably secure the lower marginal portions of said apron to the said girders, a plurality of apertures through said apron located at intervals along both longitudinal portions CHARLES M. DOLBIER. 

